Rail-joint



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet ll W. H. CONNELL.

RAIL JOINT.

No. 489,119. Patented Oct. 28, 1890 yin-masses: fguvzu-rofiz $4M flaw/W z (No Model.) I 2 SheetsSheet 2.

- W. H. OONNELL.

RAIL JOINT.

Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

I-YG-zfl UNITED? STATES PATENT ()FFIcE.

R AlL-JOINT.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,119, dated October 28,1890.

Application filed April 25, 1890. Serial No. 349,413. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. CoNNELL, of Wilmington, county of New Castle, State of Delaware, have inventeda certain new and useful Improved Rail'Joint, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the construction of rail-joints, and my object is to provide an improved device for supporting the ends of the rails and preserving their vertical alignment or surface.

In an application for Letters Patent already filed by me on the 3d day of February, 1890, and bearing the Serial No. 339,039, I have shown and described a rail-joint of very similar character to my present improvement, the leading feature of which consisted in the provision of projecting lugs at or near the ends of the fish-plates, and which lugs were used to support a truss which in turn supported the rail-joint.

The object of my present invention is to make my improved joint independent of particular construction of the fish-plates, and adapted for use with fish-plates already in service, so that it can be applied to old joints as well as new.

The nature of my improvement will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings, in which it is illustrated, and in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved rail-joint; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Figs. 3, 5, and 7, elevations of various modifications of my joint; and Figs. 4, 6, and 8, plan views of the respective modifications, Fig. 4 being a view on the section-line a; 00 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 aview on the section-line 1 y of Fig. 5.

A A are the abutting ends of the rail.

B B are the fish-plates, which in the various views are shownas of ditferent lengths. Those in Figs. 1, 2, 7, and S are long, terminating at the points indicated at b 1). Those indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 are somewhat shorter, terminating at the points indicated at b I), while those indicated in Figs. 5 and 6are still shorter, terminating at b 19 C O, &c., are tie-supporting plates having flanges c 0 by which they are bolted directly or indirectly to the web of the rail. By indirectly I mean instead of resting against the web they may rest wholly or partly against the fish-plate. Between the flanges each of the tie supporting plates 0 is provided with a perforated shoulder 0, preferably formed by bending the metal, as indicated in the drawings, so as to provide a surface 0 against which the bolt holding the tie-rod can rest. This surface may be formed in an oblique plane, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, or the surface may be formed in a vertical plane, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and a leveling-washer Gr used to provide the necessary oblique surface to support the nut.

0 indicates the perforation through the shoulder formed in the plate 0. v

D D D, &c., are bolts and nuts, such as are ordinarily used for securin g fish-plates to the rails.

As shown inFigs. 1 and 2, the tie-supports 0 rest against the fish-plates B and are secured to them at the front, which hold the fish-plates in place.

In Figs. 3 and at the flanges c of the tie-supporting plates C rest against and are secured to the fish-plates by the bolts passing through them; but the outer flanges o extend back of the fish-plates and rest directly against the flange of the rail, to which they are secured by a bolt D, while in Figs. 5 and 6 the tie-supporting plates C have both of their flanges c and o resting against and secured to the flange of the rail, the inner flange c abutting against the ends of the. short fish-plate indicated in those figures.

E is a strut conveniently formed, as shown, of a short section of a rail, and which is placed directly beneath the rail-joints, while F F are tie-rods adapted to pass through the perforations 0 of the tie-supports C and beneath the strut E.

fj are bolts by which the ties F are drawn up, so as to press against the strut E and press it in turn against the rail-joint.

The device as a whole forms a truss by which the vertical strains and shocks to which the joint is subjected are converted into horizontal strains taken up by the rails themselves or by the rails and fish-plates combined.

The advantages of my present invention are, as already indicated, that it requires no I of:

plied to old as Well as new joints, and that it is more easily puttogether than ajoint such as is indicated in thy pending applicationi above referred to. The supporting-plates 0, being independent of the fish-plate, are easily slipped upon the tie-rod before it (the tie-rod) is secured in place and before the supporting-plates G are bolted to the rail.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire co-secure by Letters Patent, is'

7 1. Asa new article of manufacture, the tiesupporting plate 0, having ashoulde'r a proj ectingfrom it and perforated to permit the passage of a tie-rod through it and flanges c 0, adapted to rest'upon and be secured to the side of a rail or fish-plate.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination of the strut E, placed beneath the joint, independent tie-supporting plates 0 O, 850., secured to the rails in pairs on each sideof the joint, and tie-rods F F, extending beneath the rail and secured at each end to the plates 0, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

WM. H. 'coNNELL.

WVitnesses:

P. T. E. SMITH, HENRY BUsHt 

